Lok Sabha polls: Violence in West Bengal, EVM glitches mar polling
Among the seven states, the highest voter turnout of 74.49 per cent was recorded in seven seats in WB.
New Delhi: A grenade attack on a polling booth in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district, violence in West Bengal and EVM glitches were reported during the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls on Monday across seven states, where the average voting percentage on 51 seats stood at 62.56 per cent.
Deputy election commissioner Sandeep Saxena said, “In the entire phase five, for corresponding constituencies in 2014 the turnout was 61.75 per cent and for Monday’s poll the turnout is 62.56 per cent, as last reported.”
Among the seven states, the highest voter turnout of 74.49 per cent was recorded in seven seats in West Bengal. The lowest turnout of 19.55 per cent was reported in J&K.
Over 57.93 per cent of 2.47 crore eligible people cast their vote in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, where political heavyweights like Congress’ Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani were in the fray.
Prominent voters in the state capital Lucknow included home minister Rajnath Singh, BSP supremo Mayawati, and deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma and BSP general secretary S.C. Misra.
In Rajasthan, 63.78 per cent polling was recorded in 12 seats, while it was 63.88 per cent in seven constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, 57.86 per cent in five seats in Bihar and 63.72 in four seats in Jharkhand.
With Monday’s polling in Rajasthan, voting on all 25 Lok Sabha seats has been completed.
During the day, violence was reported from West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir. Arjun Singh, BJP candidate in West Bengal’s Barrackpore, alleged that he was attacked by Trinamul workers. The BJP sought repolling in Barrackpore from where former railway minister and senior Trinamul leader Dinesh Trivedi, who is also the sitting MP, is contesting.
Bomb explosions were reported from outside a booth at Hingli in Bangaon constituency following a clash between two groups allegedly owing allegiance to the TMC and the BJP. Two persons were injured. There were reports that a CPM agent was beaten up and driven out of a booth in Arambagh constituency.